1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an applicator device for liquid and in particular to a device which can be used for local application, to the skin, of a product which has a cosmetic or dermopharmaceutical action, such as, for example, a deodorant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the specific case of products such as a deodorant or an antiperspirant, it has already been proposed to effect application by means of a solid stick containing the active ingredient to be applied to the skin of the user; such a stick can have, in cross-section, various shapes chosen as a function of the application, and it is packaged in a casing which permits displacement of the stick as the latter is used up. The disadvantage of such a presentation is, on the one hand, that the packaging of the product necessitates the use of special and expensive equipment, and, on the other hand, that in general the preservation of the stick is not completely guaranteed since the solid composition used contains a substantial percentage of alcohol and the packaging is in general not sufficiently impervious to prevent evaporation of the alcohol. In addition, the comfort of the user is not entirely satisfactory since, with the known compositions, the application of a stick to the skin gives the sensation of a greasy application, whereas the user wants an application which is not greasy and which has a refreshing effect.
It has already been proposed to overcome these disadvantages by providing an applicator which uses a liquid composition contained in a can on which is fixed a dispenser cap bearing a dispenser head made of a porous solid material. This type of embodiment has been described, for example, in the patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,579 or in the French patent FR-89-06490. The disadvantage of this type of packaging is twofold: on the one hand, in order to close the can when the product is not in use, it is necessary to provide a relatively complicated dispenser cap, which fact considerably increases the cost of the packaging; and, on the other hand, in order to use the product, it is necessary to carry out a preliminary maneuver bringing the liquid into the porous head with which the application will be effected: in the case of the two prior art patents mentioned above, this maneuver involves first turning the can upside down so that the liquid flows by gravity down into the porous head.
It has also been proposed to apply the products of this type in aerosol form, in which case the liquid composition dispensed is perfectly preserved during its storage since it is situated inside a pressurized container closed by a valve. However, this mode of application has considerable drawbacks: the application, even when it is well aimed, in fact generates a cloud of liquid particles which is partially inhaled by the user, often resulting in a particularly unpleasant sternutatory effect, especially when washing in the morning in the bathroom, or even more serious reactions in the case of asthma sufferers who are particularly sensitive to the inhalation of aerosol particles. In addition, dispensing by aerosol involves discharging into the atmosphere, at the same time as the liquid particles of the aerosol, the pressurizing gas; if pressurizing is effected by a non-liquefied compressed gas, for example by air, the dispensing pressure decreases as the reservoir empties, so that, at the end of dispensing, the particles of the aerosol are too heavy; if pressurizing is effected using a partially liquefied chlorofluoroalkane, atmospheric pollution is generated; finally, if pressurizing is effected using partially liquefied butane or propane, the product cannot in any way be considered hypoallergenic, given the risk of some users inhaling the propellant.
With the aim of eliminating the disadvantages mentioned hereinabove, an applicator device for liquid has been proposed, in accordance with EP-A-0 374 339, comprising a container for the liquid to be applied to a surface to be treated, and a dispenser head connected to the container via a dispenser cap, the dispenser head being made of a porous material adapted for application of the liquid by simple rubbing of the outer face of the head on the surface to be treated, the container being a pressurized reservoir equipped with a dispenser valve, the dispenser head being borne by a support which constitutes an element of the dispenser cap and is mechanically connected to a joining piece capable of cooperating with the valve so as to bring about its opening under the action of a mechanical stress exerted on the dispenser head, the liquid discharged from the reservoir during the opening being channelled through the joining piece towards that face of the dispenser head which is opposite the outer face of the head, the dispenser cap including a fastening member allowing the said cap to be connected to the reservoir, and the fastening member being a rigid skirt fixed on the reservoir by snap-fitting of a snap-fitting zone. Such a device has the advantage of not requiring to be turned upside down prior to application; however, it is not easy to use: on the one hand, the dispenser head is guided along the axis of the stem of the dispenser valve which it is necessary to activate along this axis in order to open it, while a transverse movement must be given to the device for spreading the product over the surface to be treated, and, on the other hand, this axial force for opening the valve is effected counter to the elastic means particular to the dispenser valve, and it is difficult to regulate or meter the dispensing of the product.